Dear Nairalanders

Please pardon me because I can't do a screenshot, I just do copy and paste of our chat from WhatsApp. Its between myself and a friend after a bitter/sad experience recently in a hospital in our dear country, Nigeria.

Doctors in the house please, can somebody tell me why it is so...

This is my chat with a friend after I traveled out of Abuja to another state down south in the country.


[5/19, 2:26 PM] The Oracle: Come dey tell me say the test result shows that I have too much blood

[5/19, 2:26 PM] Ejiga: Donate na

[5/19, 2:27 PM] The Oracle: That I should pls come back after the treatment and donate blood for them

[5/19, 2:27 PM] The Oracle: After the strike

[5/19, 2:27 PM] Ejiga: K

[5/19, 2:27 PM] The Oracle: I just dey talk for my mind say me wey never well finish?

[5/19, 2:27 PM] Ejiga: �

[5/19, 2:28 PM] The Oracle: The driver that took me to the hospital was telling me that

[5/19, 2:29 PM] The Oracle: That there is a place u will go and donate blood and u will get paid here.

[5/19, 2:29 PM] Ejiga: Na for sell?

[5/19, 2:29 PM] The Oracle: I was wondering too.

[5/19, 2:29 PM] Ejiga: K

[5/19, 2:29 PM] Ejiga: Business don come b that

[5/19, 2:29 PM] The Oracle: Hearing that for the first time actually

[5/19, 2:30 PM] Ejiga: But na so e b Sha

[5/19, 2:30 PM] The Oracle: No be so oh

[5/19, 2:30 PM] Ejiga: Just dat our hospitals like awoof

[5/19, 2:30 PM] The Oracle: Blood donation is free nah

[5/19, 2:30 PM] Ejiga: At d end Dem go soon sell am to people weh need am

[5/19, 2:30 PM] The Oracle: Its pasted on every corner of the walls in hospitals in Abuja where I came from that blood donation is free.

[5/19, 2:31 PM] Ejiga: K

[5/19, 2:31 PM] The Oracle: What u said up there is the reason why I think there is sense in what they do here

[5/19, 2:32 PM] Ejiga: Na so oo

[5/19, 2:32 PM] Ejiga: U donate for free but they don't give it out for free

[5/19, 2:32 PM] Ejiga: U r supposed to get paid for donating

[5/19, 2:33 PM] The Oracle: U are right

[5/19, 2:33 PM] Ejiga: A pant of blood is 5k and above

[5/19, 2:33 PM] The Oracle: I was called to come donate blood for a teenage girl in a hospital in Abuja

[5/19, 2:34 PM] The Oracle: I went there

[5/19, 2:34 PM] The Oracle: Met the girl in pains

[5/19, 2:34 PM] The Oracle: She lost a lot of blood already

[5/19, 2:34 PM] Ejiga: Eiyaah

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: They told me to go eat and drink lots of water before they can take the blood

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: I went

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: On coming back for them to take their blood

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: They told me to go

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: That there was no need anymore

[5/19, 2:35 PM] The Oracle: What happened?

[5/19, 2:36 PM] The Oracle: They took her to theatre

[5/19, 2:36 PM] The Oracle: Trying to give her blood

[5/19, 2:36 PM] The Oracle: She passed out in the process

[5/19, 2:37 PM] The Oracle: Meanwhile they have not taken my blood oh

[5/19, 2:37 PM] The Oracle: Which means

[5/19, 2:37 PM] The Oracle: They have the blood in their blood bank whatever all the while

[5/19, 2:38 PM] The Oracle: But won't release it unless the patient pays for it

[5/19, 2:38 PM] The Oracle: That is buy it or

[5/19, 2:39 PM] The Oracle: U get someone to donate for them for replacement before they can release the ones they have, which is the same blood they got for free through donations

[5/19, 2:39 PM] The Oracle: Before my very eyes

[5/19, 2:39 PM] The Oracle: The mother of the girl was already on the floor rolling

[5/19, 2:39 PM] The Oracle: I don't know them

[5/19, 2:39 PM] The Oracle: They don't know me

[5/19, 2:40 PM] The Oracle: I was only there to help

[5/19, 2:40 PM] The Oracle: I felt disappointed in my country and pity for the woman

[5/19, 2:41 PM] The Oracle: They had to see me first before they decided to take the girl to the theatre

[5/19, 2:42 PM] The Oracle: But by then, it was already late

[5/19, 2:43 PM] Ejiga: U no know our naija hospital?

[5/19, 2:43 PM] Ejiga: Na so e be even wit security and other agencies

[5/19, 2:43 PM] Ejiga: Nothing is working

[5/19, 2:43 PM] Ejiga: Hospital own na him dey pain me pass

[5/19, 2:44 PM] Ejiga: They'll see someone dying yet Dem no go help

[5/19, 2:44 PM] Ejiga: Cos of one lie lie protocol or so

[5/19, 2:44 PM] Ejiga: They value money before human life

[5/19, 2:45 PM] The Oracle: I for cause serious problem that day

[5/19, 2:45 PM] The Oracle: I just left them there with tears in my eyes

[5/19, 2:45 PM] Ejiga: Na wa o

[5/19, 2:46 PM] Ejiga: God go help us all

[5/19, 2:46 PM] The Oracle: Nonsense people everywhere

[5/19, 2:46 PM] The Oracle: I swear

[5/19, 2:47 PM] The Oracle: Since that day

[5/19, 2:47 PM] Ejiga: it is well

[5/19, 2:47 PM] The Oracle: I come dey wonder

[5/19, 2:47 PM] The Oracle: But why do they collect these bloods from people free

[5/19, 2:48 PM] The Oracle: Then the patient must pay for it or forget it and risk their life?

[5/19, 2:48 PM] Ejiga: Na money dem dey after na


They might have a reason oh, so I just want to know.

Thank you.

For donated blood, it is usually the screening, crossmatching and testing for infections that the patient pays for, not that the blood itself is being sold.

you buy water

water is free

you buy oxygen

oxygen is free

you buy internet bundle

internet is free

You pay for the screening,and not the blood.

Most public hospitals blood bank have pints of blood at almost every time. But for a patient to be transfused, most hospitals require that someone must replace the blood otherwise,the blood bank would be empty.

However, in the case of an emergency, one can 'loan' a Maximum number of pints of blood to be replaced later but a relative must append his signature

Blood donation is free but some hospitals encourage people to donate by giving them some cash. This ensures blood is present at all time in the hospital. Remember not all blood loan taken would eventually be paid back. Blood is very important and scarce in every hospital: you can only obtain it from humans hence the need to use every legal and ethical means to keep the blood bank stocked at every time.

Emmy1379:
You pay for the screening,and not the blood.

Most public hospitals blood bank have pints of blood at almost every time. But for a patient to be transfused, most hospitals require that someone must replace the blood otherwise,the blood bank would be empty.

However, in the case of an emergency, one can 'loan' a Maximum number of pints of blood to be replaced later but a relative must append his signature

Blood donation is free but some hospitals encourage people to donate by giving them some cash. This ensures blood is present at all time in the hospital. Remember not all blood loan taken would eventually be paid back. Blood is very important and scarce in every hospital: you can only obtain it from humans hence the need to use every legal and ethical means to keep the blood bank stocked at every time.

Nice clarification.

But it still did not justify why a patients condition should be allowed to get so critical like the experience I had which eventually resulted to the death of the girl.

It was really painful even though I don't know them, I was only called by someone to help donate for her.